Follow Us on Google
By Lukman Olabiyi
Labour Party (LP) candidate for House of Representatives, Udenu/Igboeze North Federal Constituency, Enugu State, Chief Chinedu Eya, has vowed to sponsor legislation prescribing jail terms for medical practitioners and hospital officials who unjustifiably deny emergency patients immediate treatment over demands for financial deposits, police reports or other administrative requirements.
Eya, Chief Executive Officer of My Eya Homes, said the proposed legislation would address what he described as a disturbing practice in which critically ill patients, including accident victims and victims of gunshot and robbery incidents, are left unattended while hospitals insist on completing administrative procedures or securing payment before commencing treatment.
He expressed concern that avoidable deaths had occurred because emergency patients were denied timely medical attention, despite being brought to hospitals by Good Samaritans willing to help save their lives.
According to him, such rescuers often have no knowledge of the victims’ identities or financial circumstances but are driven by compassion to seek urgent medical assistance for them.
He lamented that instead of receiving immediate attention, some victims are subjected to demands for police reports, identity cards and upfront payments, thereby frustrating the efforts of those who bring them to hospitals.
“The first responsibility of a medical practitioner is to save human life. It is heartbreaking that someone who has been involved in an accident, hit by a stray bullet or injured during a robbery incident can be rushed to a hospital by a Good Samaritan, only for the hospital to demand money or a police report before attending to the victim.
“Many of these victims die not because their conditions are beyond medical intervention, but because the system makes it difficult for them to receive immediate treatment. This is unacceptable, and I will not remain silent about it,” he said.
The LP candidate said his proposed legislation would compel hospitals and medical practitioners to provide immediate emergency care, including stabilisation of patients, before requesting financial deposits or non-medical documentation.
He also advocated stringent sanctions, including imprisonment, for doctors and hospital officials found culpable where deliberate and unjustifiable refusal or delay in providing emergency care results in the death of a patient.
“The law must be clear: no emergency patient should be left to die because he or she cannot produce money, a police report or an identity card. Where a patient’s life is lost because of deliberate and unjustifiable hospital bureaucracy, those responsible must face the full weight of the law, including imprisonment,” he declared.
Eya anchored his position on the ethical principles of the Hippocratic Oath, arguing that the protection of human life and the welfare of patients must remain central to medical practice.
He maintained that the oath should not be regarded as a mere ceremonial declaration but as a moral obligation requiring medical professionals to prioritise patients’ lives, particularly in life-threatening emergencies.
He said the proposed law would protect vulnerable Nigerians, strengthen accountability in the healthcare sector and reinforce the responsibility of medical institutions to provide lifesaving interventions without discrimination based on patients’ financial circumstances.
The House of Representatives hopeful urged Nigerians to support legislative reforms aimed at guaranteeing access to emergency medical services and preventing avoidable deaths arising from administrative and financial barriers.
He added that his ambition to represent Udenu/Igboeze North Federal Constituency in the National Assembly was driven by a commitment to champion legislation addressing issues that directly affect the lives and welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
LP rep candidate vows bill to jail doctors, others over refusal to treat emergency patients
Labour Party (LP) candidate for House of Representatives, Udenu/Igboeze North Federal Constituency, Enugu State, Chief Chinedu Eya, has vowed to sponsor legislation prescribing jail terms for medical practitioners and hospital officials who unjustifiably deny emergency patients immediate treatment over demands for financial deposits, police reports or other administrative requirements.
Eya, Chief Executive Officer of My Eya Homes, said the proposed legislation would address what he described as a disturbing practice in which critically ill patients, including accident victims and victims of gunshot and robbery incidents, are left unattended while hospitals insist on completing administrative procedures or securing payment before commencing treatment.
He expressed concern that avoidable deaths had occurred because emergency patients were denied timely medical attention, despite being brought to hospitals by Good Samaritans willing to help save their lives.
According to him, such rescuers often have no knowledge of the victims’ identities or financial circumstances but are driven by compassion to seek urgent medical assistance for them.
He lamented that instead of receiving immediate attention, some victims are subjected to demands for police reports, identity cards and upfront payments, thereby frustrating the efforts of those who bring them to hospitals.
“The first responsibility of a medical practitioner is to save human life. It is heartbreaking that someone who has been involved in an accident, hit by a stray bullet or injured during a robbery incident can be rushed to a hospital by a Good Samaritan, only for the hospital to demand money or a police report before attending to the victim.
“Many of these victims die not because their conditions are beyond medical intervention, but because the system makes it difficult for them to receive immediate treatment. This is unacceptable, and I will not remain silent about it,” he said.
The LP candidate said his proposed legislation would compel hospitals and medical practitioners to provide immediate emergency care, including stabilisation of patients, before requesting financial deposits or non-medical documentation.
He also advocated stringent sanctions, including imprisonment, for doctors and hospital officials found culpable where deliberate and unjustifiable refusal or delay in providing emergency care results in the death of a patient.
“The law must be clear: no emergency patient should be left to die because he or she cannot produce money, a police report or an identity card. Where a patient’s life is lost because of deliberate and unjustifiable hospital bureaucracy, those responsible must face the full weight of the law, including imprisonment,” he declared.
Eya anchored his position on the ethical principles of the Hippocratic Oath, arguing that the protection of human life and the welfare of patients must remain central to medical practice.
He maintained that the oath should not be regarded as a mere ceremonial declaration but as a moral obligation requiring medical professionals to prioritise patients’ lives, particularly in life-threatening emergencies.
He said the proposed law would protect vulnerable Nigerians, strengthen accountability in the healthcare sector and reinforce the responsibility of medical institutions to provide lifesaving interventions without discrimination based on patients’ financial circumstances.
The House of Representatives hopeful urged Nigerians to support legislative reforms aimed at guaranteeing access to emergency medical services and preventing avoidable deaths arising from administrative and financial barriers.
He added that his ambition to represent Udenu/Igboeze North Federal Constituency in the National Assembly was driven by a commitment to champion legislation addressing issues that directly affect the lives and welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
Photo attachment: 1000296889.jpg
Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
